


Spotted in the Stands

by gnarlyones



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Clarke Griffin - Freeform, Clexa, College AU, Commander Lexa, Endgame Clarke Griffin/Lexa, F/F, Rugby, Shy lexa, Soccer, Sports, The 100 - Freeform, University, University AU, athletic Clarke, athletic lexa, clexa au, f/f - Freeform, lexa woods - Freeform, varsity sports
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-10
Updated: 2016-03-15
Packaged: 2018-05-25 21:34:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6210973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gnarlyones/pseuds/gnarlyones
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clarke's the captain of the rugby team and an exceptional exercise science major. Lexa's the captain of the soccer team and an incredibly smart biology major. They have yet to realize that their junior year in college will be a year to remember.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Alarm Clocks

**Author's Note:**

> Hey Guys! This is my first piece of writing, so any and every bit of constructive criticism is welcome!  
> The couple of chapters will be slow - gotta build the story somehow, right?

[Clarke]

She awoke at the sound of her blaring alarm, and she swung her arms out from under her pillow to find the damned thing. Her hands gripped around her phone, and she quickly turned off the alarm before returning to her previous position. Waking up at the ass crack of dawn was definitely NOT one of Clarke’s favorite hobbies, but playing rugby definitely was. 

Clarke had been given a full ride scholarship to San Diego State University upon graduating high school to play for the varsity rugby team. She had played since the age of 13, and wouldn’t want to spend her free time doing anything else.

It had been two years since starting school, and Clarke had been on the starting line up since her freshman year. Now, as a junior, she had been voted Captain, and was responsible for leading most practices in the absence of her coaches. That meant that Clarke was responsible for making it to every practice at least a half hour earlier to make sure the field was set up for her team. 

Being Captain of a varsity sport had its perks, but waking up at 5 in the morning on the weekdays was definitely not one of them. Clarke rolled over in her bed so that she was staring straight ahead at the ceiling fan in her room. She kept her eyes closed and took a long inhale of breath. As she exhaled, she opened her eyes and forced herself out of her bed. A shiver ran up her spine as she left the warmth of her covers and headed towards the bathroom. She turned the faucet on and covered her face with a splash of cold water before meeting her reflection in the mirror. 

Trying not to cringe at the bags under her eyes and the rat’s nest that seemed to be forming at the top of her head, she pulled her toothbrush and toothpaste from their container and began to brush her teeth.

She let her mind wander to the events that would unfold today. First practice of the year. There were a few new freshman that were recruited last summer that she would have to work with closely today. She knew it was going to be a difficult practice; the coaches always wanted to intimidate the girls to make sure they were ready for what was to come that season.

Clarke spat out the glob of toothpaste into the sink and rinsed her mouth with the running water. She plucked the brush from the counter and began to attack the ball of snarls on her scalp. After she was able to pull the brush through her hair, she quickly tied it up in a loose bun and left the bathroom.  
Back in her room, she strode towards her dresser and reached for a sports bra, spandex, a pair of socks, and a dingy old practice shirt. She opened up the shirt and smiled as she saw the two golden pitchforks crossed together against the faded red. It was one of the first practice uniforms she had been given her freshman year. She pulled it over her head and felt a rush of pride as she dawned her school’s colors. 

She pulled on the spandex and socks after, and laced up her running shoes before leaving her room once again. She walked towards the living room of her small apartment and pulled on a hoodie that had been hanging from one of the chairs. She grabbed a banana from the kitchen counter before picking up her practice bag and her keys that were hanging from the wall beside the door. She took one glance at her apartment, making sure that she had everything packed, before walking out.  
Her apartment was only a few blocks away from campus, so the drive took only a few minutes. Clarke pulled into the parking lot closest to the practice fields and pulled into her usual spot. She grabbed her bag from the passenger seat and headed straight for the open gates that lead to the pitch.

She was used to arriving to an empty field by now, and wasted no time in pulling off her shoes and replacing them with her cleats. She stood up and inhaled sharply. The smell of freshly cut grass and the lingering aroma of chalk paint filled her nostrils, and she smiled. The field always looked (and smelled) the best before season started.  
She ran to each end of the field to drag to make sure that each flag was placed in the correct spot and that each marking of the field had been painted. Satisfied with how the pitch looked, the blonde began to jog slowly around it, allowing her muscles to unwind from the previous night’s sleep.

As she began picking up her speed, the parking lot slowly began to fill. As the minutes rolled by, girls emerged on to the once empty field. Clarke ended her warm up to greet the girls who were seated on the edge of the field.

“Mornin, ladies!” Clarke called out, slightly out of breath. “Ready for the first practice of the year?”

Her words were reciprocated with many ‘Oh yeahs!’ and ‘You bets!’ and as she neared the girls, she sat amongst them and began to stretch her legs. She was able to pick out the new faces in the crowd and introduced herself.

“You two must be Nylah and Gina! My name is Clarke, and I am your captain this year. It’s really great to finally meet you guys,” she said with a genuine smile. The two girls beamed at her, and Clarke was glad that she was able to make them both feel welcome.

Clarke led her team through a proper warm up, starting with a few laps around the field and ending with the girls stretching in a circle on the center of the field. As the girls finished their last stretch, they were greeted by their coaches.

“Good Morning, ladies,” Coach Kane greeted as he stopped in front of the girls. “Welcome to the season! We are going to start off today’s practice working on skills and agility. It’s been a long summer and I highly doubt most of you practiced as diligently as you did during season,” he joked, with a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, “so I need to make sure you guys are back in shape before we can start working on any plays.” 

The girls nodded in agreement and waited for further instructions. Coach Pike stepped forward and began explaining the first drill. Clarke listened intently, knowing that she would most likely be picked for a demonstration to show the girls. 

Her instincts were right, and she was able to show her team how to properly run the drill before they were able to start practicing it. The rest of practice followed similar structure, and after an hour of practice, the girls were drenched in sweat. 

Clarke pushed herself for the entirety of the practice, reveling in the way her quads burned from running, and how sore her arms were from passing the ball around. She lived for the feeling this sport gave her.

When practice finally ended, and the girls began shuffling out of the gated field, Clarke stayed behind to continue stretching her worn muscles.  
With a grin on her face, she thought to herself, Oh yeah. This season is going to be great.

 

[Lexa]

The sudden sound of the alarm clock didn’t faze the girl seated next to it, and she turned it off within seconds. It was habit for Lexa to rise before her alarm clock, and she often left her bed to stretch her legs or walk to the kitchen to make coffee. She would return to her room just in time for her to turn the alarm off before it started blaring loudly.

Today, however, Lexa sat in silence on her bed, thinking of the day ahead of her. It was the first day of her junior year at SDSU as well as the first day of practice. She thought about her very first tryouts at the school and how intimidated she was. Surrounded by such talented soccer players, Lexa had no hope of making the varsity team. She worked her ass off, making sure she showed the coaches that she was a well-rounded player. Her speed and foot skills impressed the coaches and she was offered a spot on the team at the end of the week of tryouts. 

Lexa could still feel the surge of shock, happiness, and pride she had felt that day once she was approached by the coaches. The feeling had kept her working harder and harder the past two years, and she was rewarded by earning a first string position as well as being named Captain her sophomore year. This year she was determined to improve her skills as well as be a teammate that each of the girls could look up to.

Practice started at 9:00, so the brunette had a few minutes to relax before getting ready. She hopped off the edge of her bed and walked towards the kitchen. She turned on her coffee pot and walked towards the pantry as the machine started to brew the ground coffee beans. She pulled out a box of cereal and grabbed the milk from the fridge. Setting the two items on the kitchen table, she walked back towards the coffee pot and poured herself a mug. She grabbed the drink as well as a bowl and spoon and returned to the table. 

She absentmindedly poured herself a bowl of cereal, still thinking about her freshman year of college. Her team took first in league, and she was able to pull off a 4.0 GPA for the entire year. She remembered coming home for summer to her two beaming parents, finally feeling that she had done something right. 

The following year had treated her differently. Her older sister died at the beginning of the fall semester, and Lexa barely survived it. She hardly went to class and her grades plummeted, but she was able to use soccer as a distraction from her grief. Her team had been there for her, and she truly felt a sense of home with the girls she called teammates.

Lexa was only able to get a few bites in before realizing that she was going to be late. She ran to the bathroom to brush her teeth quickly. She pulled on the first pair of running shorts and practice shirt she could find before walking towards the door. She grabbed her bag, already packed with her cleats and shin guards before running out the door barefoot towards her car.

The practice fields were ten minutes away, but Lexa made it in five. She was NOT about to be late for her first practice of the year, regardless of whether or not she was the captain.

After pulling into a parking spot she rushed towards the gates leading to the practice field, still barefoot. Too focused on getting herself to the field, she didn’t even notice the seated figure in front of her until she almost tripped over her. She stopped abruptly, confused as who the person was in front of her.

The girl’s back was faced towards Lexa, and she took note of the ball of messy blonde hair on top of her head. The stranger was wearing the typical Aztec red, and Lexa could see a couple of cleats next to her. Confused, Lexa steadied her rushed breathing, and approached the girl.

“Hey I didn’t know we had new players joining us this year,” Lexa tried, not sure if the girl was here for soccer practice or not. The blonde jumped, obviously not realizing that someone was behind her.

“Jesus Christ! Do you always sneak up on people like that?” The blonde said, turning to face Lexa.

Lexa’s eyes widened as she took in the girl’s features. Fierce blue eyes stared right back at her. They twinkled as a smile pulled at the corners of the girl’s mouth. Lexa’s mouth went dry at the sight and she stumbled over her words as she tried to apologize.

“I-uh- I’m sorry I-I didn’t mean to scare you like that,” Lexa tried. The girl in front of her giggled and stood up, closing the space between the two.

“It’s alright don’t worry,” she said with a laugh, “You just caught me off guard is all.” She held out her hand for Lexa to take. “I’m Clarke.”

Lexa took the girls hand in hers and shook it a little too long. Embarrassed, her hand retracted and she could feel her cheeks reddening. “Lexa,” she said softly, moving her gaze to her feet.

“Lexa.” the girl repeated, a smile toying on her lips. “I like it!” Lexa’s cheeks flushed harder as she mumbled a ‘thank you’. Clarke didn’t seem to notice as she continued, “And to answer your question, no, I’m not a new player. I’m on the rugby team.” 

Confused, Lexa looked back up at the girl. “Oh,” she started, trying to regain her voice. “I didn’t know you guys practiced on this field.” 

Clarke gave her a smile and Lexa could feel her face getting hot again. She was never nervous about making conversations with strangers. She wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that she couldn’t help but notice every time the girl’s nose crinkled when she smiled, or the softness in the blue eyes that stared right back at her.

“Usually we don’t, but this year we got scheduled here. I noticed the soccer field paint lines around our rugby lines this morning at practice. I’m assuming you play soccer?”

Lexa nodded and bit her lip. “Yeah I do. Practice starts at 9.” Lexa looked back down at her feet and realized that she was still barefoot.

“Oh shit that’s in like, ten minutes! I am so sorry, I should probably go then,” the blonde said as she reached towards the ground, trying to shuffle her things back into her bag. Once her task was complete, she stood up straight again and gave Lexa another smile. “It was really nice meeting you, Lexa. Hopefully I’ll see you around.” And with that, the girl turned and started walking towards the gates leading to the parking lot.  
Lexa managed to call out a ‘you too’, feeling stupid for not reacting quickly enough to the girl’s words. The blonde turned to face Lexa again, still backing towards the exit, “Have a good practice!” She called back with a grin before turning back towards the parking lot.

Lexa stared after the girl she had just met for a couple of minutes before realizing once again that she was underdressed for practice. She plopped herself to the ground and quickly pulled on a pair of socks from her bag. Her teammates filed in one by one as Lexa laced up her cleats. She greeted every girl with a smile and waited for everyone to be present before standing again.

“Alright ladies! Let’s get a good warm up this morning,” Lexa said, facing her team, “we’ve got a long practice ahead of us!” A few girls let out a small cheer, the feeling of excitement for the new season washing over each and every one of the girls.

“All right then, let’s do it!” Lexa said with a smile before leading them in a few laps around the field.

Lexa was glad that today’s practice was just comprised of simple shooting and stamina drills, because for the first time in her soccer career, her thoughts were elsewhere in a sea of bright blue eyes and golden curls.


	2. Notes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> School is really hard when your thoughts are on anything BUT school.

[Clarke]

 

She changed out of her sweat caked practice clothes in the back seat of her car, not having time to walk to the locker room opposite from the parking lot before her first class of the day. She pulled out the hair tie securing her messy bun and pulled her damp curls into a loose braid. She then grabbed her school bag, making sure all of her notebooks were packed, and left her car once again.

She turned briefly towards the field she had just left, trying to pick out the girl she had just met. It wasn’t hard spotting a pair of long tanned legs sprinting back and forth between a few cones set up, and Clarke let a small smile tug at the corners of her mouth.

She turned back and headed for the gym across the parking lot, which contained most of her kinesiology classes she was scheduled to take this semester. She didn’t want to become a doctor like her mother because, well, let’s face it. Who would voluntarily go through that much school? She settled for becoming an Athletic Trainer as a compromise. Her mother would be happy, and she would be able to incorporate sports with her career. She was still minoring it art, allowing her to have a reason to continue painting so often. Clarke was extremely happy with her course work and couldn’t wait to start her career.

She hopped up the steps leading to the gym entrance and veered right towards her first class. First Aid and Emergency Care was an easy class to start the day with. Clarke had already learned a lot of the course material from interning at her mother’s hospital in the previous summers, so it was a great review class.

Not even ten minutes into the lecture, Clarke was already zoned out. Instead of listening halfheartedly to the professor like she did most days, her thoughts were consumed with her previous encounter with the soccer player less than an hour ago. She couldn’t shake the intensity she felt when looking at those forest green eyes. Sure she was quiet, but Clarke was intrigued with the girl. She smiled at the thought of the flustered girl trying to apologize for practically running her over, and she tried to hide a slight giggle at the memory of how easily the brunette’s cheeks reddened during their conversation.

“Clarke?”

The blonde snapped out of her day dream only to find that her professor was looking at her expectantly.

“Would like to tell us what the first step of tending to a possible fracture would be?” Her professor had an air of exasperation as she waited for Clarke to answer. It was her first class of the day and Clarke had already pissed off the teacher standing at the head of the class.

“Uh- yeah sorry. The first step is to elevate the possible fracture to reduce the chance of swelling,” Clarke said, hoping that her correct answer would diffuse the harsh gaze upon her. The professor nodded, and turned back to her computer, continuing with the lecture.

Clarke kept her head low the rest of the lecture, making sure that she took adequate notes that she knew she would never look at again. The hour ended, and the girl gathered her things and left the classroom.

She walked past a few classrooms before finding her next course down the hall. She wasn’t looking forward to her upper division Health and Wellness class, knowing that it was going to consist of a LOT of busy work. All H&A classes did. She walked through the classroom doors and found a seat in the back row. She pulled out a notebook and pencil, determined to actually pay attention this time.

The classroom filled within minutes and a tall dark man with square glasses that framed his face took his place at the head of the room. The sound of shuffling papers and pens clicking died down as the man began to speak.

“Good morning everyone. I am Professor Jaha and I will be teaching this Health and Wellness class. If all of you are enrolled in this class, then I will assume that each and every one of you has taken the intro to H and A at some point in your coursework.” His voice was commanding, and it was easy for him to earn the attention of almost all of the students immediately. He paced the floor in front of the front row of desks as he began again.

“As you all know, Wellness is not just defined as how fit your body is or what your BMI is. Wellness is defined as a how well a person’s physical, emotional, and _spiritual_ state are in. In this course we will be exploring each of these aspects in an incredulous depth, and you will have a more complete understanding of how wellness is achieved and maintained.”

Clarke could hear the furious scribbles of pen to paper as her classmates began taking notes, and it took all the strength in her not to yawn at the “new” information this professor had just given them. She had heard that phrase multiple times in her previous year’s classes and it was engrained in her brain because of it.

Jaha continued elaborating on his introduction to the class, and Clarke found herself doodling on her notebook. It’s not that Clarke was a genius or anything of the sort. She was far from it, actually. She had learned a lot from her mother over the years. Most dinner discussions were about what Abby Griffin was teaching her interns at the time, so it was safe to say that Clarke had learned a few things growing up.

 She traced the shape of a soccer ball over and over on her page as she remembered those family dinners that she missed so much. She remembered how her dad would laugh at how interested she was at her mother’s day at the hospital and how he would try to veer the conversation towards a more lightheaded conversation; one that didn’t involve the graphic description of how to take out an enflamed appendix.

Clarke smiled at the memory and looked back up towards the front of the class. She had completely lost track of the discussion at hand, and slid her focus from her professor to the clock stationed on the wall just above his head. Five more minutes.

Clarke slowly closed her notebook, eyes still trained on Jaha. She unclicked her pen, and nodded at something the professor said, trying to look as engrossed in the lecture as possible. She averted her gaze back up to the clock. Three minutes.

“Okay, you guys, I guess that’s a good place to stop. Next class we will continue discussing the physical aspect of wellness, and how we can measure it. Enjoy the rest of your day, everyone,” Jaha concluded, dismissing the class.

Clarke packed up her things, zipped up her bag, and closed the gap between her desk and the door in seconds. Once she had left the classroom behind her, she slowed her pace. She mentally kicked herself for being so unfocused today. She should have been able to follow along with both of her class lectures with ease, but she instead found herself agonizingly bored. She could barely contain her thoughts from running away from her; reaching the soft green sheets of her welcoming bed at home, the fresh green rugby field only meters away from where she stood now, the deep magnetic green eyes of a girl she had only spoke a few words to.

She quickly shook the thought from her head and tried desperately to focus on the next class on her schedule. She pulled out a copy of her workload from the front zipper of her bag and scanned the paper until she found where she should be next.

Gross Anatomy. Clarke grimaced at the paper before shoving it back in its place. Gross was an understatement, and it took all of her strength to push one foot in front of the other towards the double doors of the gym, towards the science building across campus, and towards her impending doom.

Despite the lack of desire to make it to class on time, the walk was quick as Clarke maneuvered herself around the bee swarm of students walking in every which direction. She walked through the building doors and walked past several classrooms until she turned towards the staircase at the end of the hall. She scaled the steps with ease and started to round the corner before smacking hard into the backpack of a figure she hadn’t noticed.

The girl in front of her let out a yelp of surprise before turning to face Clarke. Her eyes widened as they met the gaze of a shocked blonde standing in front of her.

Clarke gulped before managing to regain her composure. She smiled genuinely before speaking. “You know, we really need to stop meeting like this. It won’t be long till one of us actually gets hurt.”

A small giggle escaped the lips of the brunette, and it caused Clarke’s grin to grow even wider.

“Hello, Clarke,” Lexa said softly, the hint of a smile still lingering on the corners of her mouth. Clarke reveled in the way her name rolled off the girl’s tongue.

“Hello, Lexa,” Clarke countered, giving the girl a slight nod. Her eyes traveled across Lexa’s face, moving from the soft arch of her brows, to her well defined cheekbones, to her small nose, back up to her eyes. Clarke could have sworn that there were a depth of forests in each of them.

Lexa broke eye contact first, pretending to be fascinated by a piece of year old gum stuck to the floor. She cleared her throat before asking, “What class are you headed for?”

Clarke contorted her face in her most dramatic cringe before answering. “Gross Anatomy. Emphasis on the ‘Gross’”. The girl before her chuckled, and Clarke allowed her face to relax back into her confident smile. She gave a slight nod of her chin towards Lexa. “What about you?”

Lexa titled her head towards the classroom across from where they stood. “Molecular Genetics.”

Clarke’s eyes widened comically at the response and shook her head in disbelief. “So you’re a varsity athlete AND you’re a genius? Damn, who even are you?”

The brunette’s cheeks reddened, and she stuttered as she tried to reply. “Oh-uh- h-hardly,” she shook her head, returning her gaze to the fossilized gum beneath her. “Trust me. I’m no genius. My classes kick my ass every semester.”

Clarke’s eyes softened at the girl’s display of modesty. How was it possible for this girl to be so talented and yet so humble? Oh, and don’t forget being that attractive. It should be illegal for someone to have practically everything going for them. Clarke swallowed as she tried desperately to avert her eyes from the brunette’s lips. She had only known the girl for less than a day, but she was already determined to know everything about her.

Lexa looked up again, catching Clarke off guard. She averted her stare and was once again swallowed in the deep green eyes across from her. She swallowed again. “I’m sure you do just fine, Lexa,” she said sincerely.

Lexa gave her a genuine smile. The kind of smile that reached her eyes, and lit up her entire face.

Clarke’s heart skipped a beat. _Well, fuck._

Lexa cleared her throat, breaking Clarke’s inner monologue. “You know, I took Gross Anatomy my second semester, so if you need any study tips, I could totally help. I may even have some old flash cards or notes or something,” Lexa rambled, looking up to meet the gaze of the blonde in front of her.

“You know what?” Clarke began, a smile spreading across her face. “You may have just saved my life.”

The girl only smiled and nodded. She then looked at the thin leather watch fastened to her wrist before looking back up to Clarke. “Well, I believe the histones and DNA polymerases are calling my name,” she said apologetically.

Clarke shook her head and chuckled. “I’m just gunna pretend that I know what those are and let you go. Have a good class, Lexa.”

Lexa gave her warm smile, “You too, Clarke. Enjoy your gross Gross Anatomy.”

“Oh, I’ll try,” Clarke said with a wink before turning towards her classroom, which was just a few down from where Lexa pointed towards earlier.

The two separated, both heading for their classes.

Once she was inside, she took a seat towards the back, and began to pull out a notebook for the upcoming lecture.

-

The class ended, and Clarke’s notebook was as empty as it was before it started. But to be fair, how could she focus when all she could think about was how the brunette who was capable of clouding her mind was only two doors down from her?

 

[Lexa]

 

Lexa took her seat at the back of the classroom and meticulously pulled out a notebook, a pen, and a tape recorder. Looking up from her desk, she watched as the professor took his place at the front of the room. She clicked her pen and turned on the tape recorder, making sure that she was ready to absorb anything and everything the tall balding man said.

“Hello, students. My name is Dr. Titus Kepa, and I am your instructor for Molecular Genetics. This course is difficult, so I expect each and every one of you to take adequate notes. You will be expected to know, in depth, the mechanisms for DNA replication, transcription, and translation, and the proteins associated with each topic. You will also learn about mutation rates, as well as the steps eukaryotes and prokaryotes take in order to reduce that rate.

It was obvious that the teacher could care less that it was the first day, as he began to delve into the day’s lecture. Lexa liked it that way though. She didn’t understand why any professor would waste any lecture time by playing those ‘Get to know everyone’ games. They were childish, and reminded her of high school.

She jotted down notes, and drew the diagrams that Professor Kepa had displayed on the power point notes. Lexa was good at school. She knew how to take notes, how to study, how to take tests, everything. It came to her naturally; especially when she was learning about things she was actually interested in. Biology had always intrigued her, so it was only natural for her to pursue a career in it. She was, however, always uncomfortable when she was praised for the hard work and determination she directed towards her education. Her academic success was always expected of her from her parents, so she never learned how to take praise with ease.

Lexa thought back to the compliment she received from Clarke before class. The blonde was obviously genuine, and she couldn’t understand how the girl truly believed in Lexa’s academic abilities, without any prior knowledge of her school history. There was definitely something – different about Clarke.

The mental image of icy, yet warm blue eyes framed perfectly by a few stray golden strands of hair creeped into Lexa’s focus and lingered there for the rest of class. She thought of how easy it was to talk to Clarke, regardless of the fact that she had met her that day. She thought of how fast she offered to help the girl study, and was baffled at her own behavior. It was unlike Lexa to show so much trust and familiarity towards, well, a stranger.

The sound of the blonde’s infectious giggle engrossed her memory, and Lexa held onto the thought for the rest of class.

-

The rest of her day went smoothly, as she was able to push the color of gold and blue from her mind most of the day. But as she walked towards the parking lot, she thought back to her encounters with the blonde. She oozed of confidence, unlike Lexa, who always calculated each of her decisions, going over all the pros and cons of each one and making sure it was the best option, even when it was only for what she wanted to eat for dinner that night.

Lexa reached her car, taking no time at all to slide into her seat and turn the key, bringing her Volkswagen Passat to life. She pulled out of her parking spot, and headed towards the exit. She tried to focus on the soft melody playing from her radio and she pulled onto the street heading for her apartment.

As soon as the door behind her closed shut, she slipped off her shoes and walked towards her room. She dropped her bag at the foot of her bed before changing into sweats and pulling an oversized hoodie over her head. She had received it after taking first in a tournament a couple of years back.

 She thought back on the memory, letting the feeling of victory wash over her. She missed the years she spent playing club soccer, and reminisced in being so close with her team. She had stayed with the same girls from the beginning of eighth grade to the end of her senior year of high school. They were here family for a big part of her life, and it was heartbreaking when everyone parted their separate ways for college. She kept in touch with a handful of them, always making sure to send them texts when birthdays came up, and overall just to see how they were doing with classes.

Lexa averted her focus from the past to the present once again, and walked back out into the living room. She turned the tv on, opening up Netflix. As the app loaded, she walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge. She pulled out a half empty wine bottle and set it on the counter. She grabbed a glass from the cupboards above her, and poured herself a generous amount, congratulating herself on making it through her first day of classes. It was the first semester she had since Anya died that she actually felt sort of okay. She was determined to keep that feeling for the rest of the year.

She picked up her glass and walked back towards the tv, plopping herself onto the couch in front of it. She scrolled through the titles on the screen before settling with Grey’s Anatomy. She had already watched the first few seasons last year, but hadn’t watched since her sister’s death. She had given up tv all together after the funeral. She had given up a lot of things since Anya passed, actually.

She tried half-heartedly to remember what had happened in the previous seasons as she took a few sips of her wine. She was glad that her professors had been so kind as to not assign any homework on the first day, so she spent the entire night stationed in front of the television, only moving to fill her glass again.

After realizing she had been dozing through an entire episode, Lexa reached for the remote and shut off the television. She picked up her empty glass and walked towards the kitchen. She placed the glass carefully in the sink, shut off the lights to her apartment, and slowly made her way to her bedroom.

As she pulled the covers over her body, she tried desperately to think of anything other than the possibility of her running into a certain blonde before her practice in the morning. She set her alarm, knowing that she would be up before it. She let the soft buzz of alcohol lull her into a deep, dreamless sleep.


	3. Gross Anatomy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke makes the first move. (for studious purposes of course)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! Chapter three is here! I'm currently on spring break so I hope to bust out a few more chapters within the week.  
> Apologies for the slow burn, but I'm always a sucker for the beginning stages of crushes. Let me know if there's anything I can do to make my writing better!  
> Also, we get to meet some of Clarke's roommates, which will definitely be fun(:

[Lexa]

Two weeks had passed since the start of the year, and Lexa was proud to say that she was keeping up well with her work load. She had already had a test in her political history class (it had nothing to do with her major, but she really enjoyed the subject) in which she aced, and she had begun studying for her animal biology exam coming up within the next couple of days.

Soccer was going more than well, as her team was preparing for the first game of the season. She had quickly earned the respect from all of the girls, and had proven her talents in front of her coaches yet again. Her position was more than secure in the eyes of her coaches, but Lexa pushed herself to better herself every practice.

She had run into Clarke more than a handful of times, and they had made it a habit of chatting between the two’s practices as well as every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday before her Genetics class. Lexa’s confidence grew fast as she became more comfortable with the captivating blonde. She had learned to catch the girl’s subtle sarcasm whenever she was teasing Lexa about anything. She had noticed how Clarke had always made a point of being very animated whenever Lexa told her a story or explained what /*she was learning in her classes, to show her that she was genuinely interested in whatever Lexa had to say. She had also noticed the familiar flutter at the pit of her stomach every time the blonde smiled or laughed at a joke she made.

Lexa watched as the digital clock struck 8:15 in the morning, and ended the alarm before two rings filled the air in her room. She tried not to think of how she would start her day by asking how Clarke’s practice had went as she made her way towards her bathroom.

She showered quickly, and made sure to pull on a pair of her nicest running shorts and one of her lesser used practice shirts. She pulled on her maroon soccer socks (the ones without the holes in the heels) and walked back to the bathroom.

She wasn’t sure when she started actually trying to look somewhat decent for practice. What was the point of perfecting the thickness of her mascara, or meticulously braiding her hair perfectly so that it fell over one of her shoulders, or spraying herself with a soft flowery mist that would stick to her clothes for maybe 20 minutes?

The image of twinkling blue eyes flashed through her mind, and of course, Lexa knew the answer.

After giving herself a once-over, she determined that she looked good (in a nonchalant ‘I woke up like this’ kind of way, of course). She left the bathroom again and headed for the living room. She acknowledged how grateful she was that she lived alone for what seemed like the hundredth time. She couldn’t imagine how life would be for her if she was constantly making sure that she wasn’t bothering her roommate, or being interrupted by someone while she was studying, and god forbid, having to share the bathroom with another person.

She grabbed her keys, and headed for the door, barefoot for the second time.

The drive was quick, but it felt like ages for Lexa as she imagined how her conversation would go with the blonde as soon as she got to the fields. She tried to rid the image of bouncing blonde curls running towards her, and she turned up the radio. Some pop song was on, and she was able to focus her attention on humming along to the lyrics as she slowly pulled into the familiar parking lot that had been a second home to her car for the last two years.

She pulled the key from the ignition and riled up her things, trying to compose herself before stepping out of her car. She checked her rear view mirror to make sure that her makeup was still intact, and finally left her car. She made her way slowly to the fields, as to not look too keen.

As she shuffled closer to the fields, she could make out figures running back and forth behind the gated fence. She reached the gate and walked through, realizing that the rugby team was still practicing. Lexa pulled out her phone to check the time. 8:30. Their practice was going long.

Lexa walked over to the bleachers stationed just a few yards from the pitch. She picked a spot in the middle row, and pretended to occupy herself with pulling out her cleats and shin guards from her bag until she looked up to get a closer view at the group of athletes in front of her.

It only took her a few moments before spotting a flash of golden blonde. Clarke was on the other side of the field, yelling incoherently at another player on the field. Within seconds, the ball was flung towards the girl, and it was caught with ease. The motion was so natural to Clarke, and in an instant, she had turned on her heels towards the end of the field. She was tailed by a few of her opposing teammates, but her speed was too much for them. Clarke passed the line at the end of the field, and turned to face her team triumphantly. She was greeted by a few ‘Hell yeah’s’ and ‘Way to go Griffin’s’.

Lexa couldn’t help but lick her lips and gulp. Clarke was fucking _attractive_ when she played. Lexa could see the blonde’s defined legs as she jogged towards the center of the field, regrouping with the rest of her team. Lexa took note in the slight rising and falling of the girl’s chest, and could feel her own chest constricting as a result. There was no way that someone could look that good out of breath.

Lexa dropped her gaze, fiddling with her phone, as she heard the familiar Aztec cheer. She looked back up, realizing that the practice had ended, and watched as several girls dispersed towards their bags lined up on the sidelines.

She barely had enough time to realize a familiar blonde jogging towards the bleachers, grin plastered to her face.

“Hey there, stranger!” She called out, scaling to steps with ease until she reached the row that Lexa was seated in.

Lexa tried desperately to pull her gaze from the blonde’s legs back up to her face, mirroring the girl’s smile. “Hello, Clarke. How was practice?”

Clarke shook her head and let out a soft laugh. “Well, besides the fact that practice went longer today, it went pretty well! We were just practicing a few plays, making sure that we get ‘em down before our first game.” She sat next to Lexa; close enough for Lexa to feel the warmth radiating off of the girl’s skin. She nodded in understanding, trying to only focus on Clarke’s face. But of course, that didn’t help much. Her features sheened with a thin layer of sweat, and her cheeks were still flushed red from running. Her blue eyes were wild with the lingering adrenaline from her practice, and it dizzied Lexa’s head.

Clarke, seemingly unfazed by Lexa’s inability to form words, gestured towards the field again. “Do you think your practice will go well?”

Lexa snapped out of her thoughts and turned to face the girl in front of her. She shrugged before turning back towards the field. “All of our practices have gone well, so I’d imagine that today will be no different. Our first game is next week, so it’s going to be intense to say the least.”

“I see,” Clarke began, training her gaze on the field as well. “Who do you guys play?”

“Another California school, probably. I figure it doesn’t really matter who we play, as long as we play like ourselves” Lexa explained, turning her focus on Clarke. The girl nodded in agreement, meeting Lexa’s stare. The brunette’s heart skipped a beat, and she tried to swallow down the warm feeling growing inside of her chest.

“You’re the captain, aren’t you?” Clarke’s question caught Lexa off guard as she looked at her quizzically.

“Yeah I am,” she answered, slightly confused at how Clarke could have known that.

“Trust me, that’s something I would have said to my girls too. It’s smart knowing that if you guys play like you practice, you’ll do fine. It’s a very captain-y thing to say.” Clarke smiled genuinely, and before Lexa could find the words to respond, the blonde stopped her with another question.

“It’s a home game right?

Lexa nodded, watching Clarke’s internal gears spinning.

“Yeah, that would make sense. Seen as how we share the fields this year. Our game is away next Sunday.”

Lexa cringed. “Oooooh your first game is away AND it’s on a Sunday? That’s rough.” She’s played her fair share of Sunday games and they were always the most brutal. No one wanted to spend the last day of the weekend playing a game, especially when most of the girls didn’t even look at the homework that they had due the next week until that night.

Clarke only laughed at Lexa’s expression. “Yeah I know! And it’s all thanks to you damn soccer girls,” she teased, bumping her shoulder into Lexa’s. Lexa flinched at the sudden surge of electricity that she had felt at the contact of the blonde. She’d be lying if she hadn’t thought of how it would feel to reach out and take the girl’s hand.

Her limbs remained in place, but she let out a small laugh, reciprocating the action, secretly wishing to feel the warmth of Clarke’s shoulder again. “Oh please,” Lexa laughed, shaking her head. “Everyone knows that that girls’ soccer team is the school’s favorite.”

“Ohhhhhh sure!” Clarke exclaimed, joining in on the sarcastic banter.

The two joked about whose team would beat whose in a scrimmage, both in fits of giggles. A few girls made their way through the gate. Lexa tried not to feel the weight of disappointment as she realized her practice was about to start.

Clarke nudged her knee before stating that she should probably get ready for class. She grabbed her bag and made her way down the bleacher steps before turning again.

“Hey, Lexa?”

“Hmm?”

“Were you serious about helping me with Gross Anatomy?”

Lexa tried not to look shocked at the girl’s question. She was surprised that Clarke had even remembered the offer she made a few weeks back.

“Uh- y-yeah of course. Anyti-“

“Great!” Clarke squealed, running back up the steps to meet Lexa again. She pulled a roll of athletic tape and a sharpie from her bag. She ripped a piece from the tape and placed it on her palm. She handed Lexa the marker. “I’ve got a test this Monday and I’m not sure I’ll be able to survive without your wisdom.”

Astonished, Lexa just stared at the marker while Clarke looked at her expectantly. She swallowed down the rising excitement in her chest before taking the marker. Her fingers brushed against the girl’s open palm and she almost shivered. She scribbled her number onto the tape sticking to Clarke’s other hand before capping the pen and handing it back to her.

“Are you really going to go the rest of the day with a piece of tape stuck to the inside of your hand?” Lexa questioned, smiling at the image of Clarke sitting through her classes with a strip of tape attached to her person.

“Well, not on my hand, no. My hands get sweaty, so it’ll fall off.” She pulled the tape from her left palm, and placed it on her forearm. “There. Now it’ll stick till the end of the day, and everyone will see that I scored a number.” She explained with a wink. She got back up as quickly as she sat back down and walked back down the bleachers, oblivious to Lexa’s dropped jaw.

“Have a good practice, Lexa!” The blonde called out, giving her a wave.

Within minutes, Clarke was out of sight, and Lexa made her way down the bleachers to sit with the rest of her team. Still baffled at her last conversation, she pulled on her shoes and shin guards mindlessly. She went through the entirety of practice in a daze, wondering if there would be an unanswered text waiting for her in her bag.

 

[Clarke]

 

She spent the remaining 10 minutes of her last class fiddling with her phone. She gave up taking notes on how to tape an ankle, knowing that she could probably wrap an ankle in her sleep.

Clarke had typed in Lexa’s number into her phone as soon as she closed the door of her car that morning, and she had spent the rest of the day contemplating how and when to send her a text. Right after she left for class would definitely be too soon, but she didn’t want to wait long enough for Lexa to think she didn’t care whether or not she talked to the girl. She had walked extremely slow to her Gross Anatomy class, too nervous to meet up with the brunette again. She felt stupid for over analyzing something so trivial. Lexa had told her that she would help her study, and yet Clarke was seated in her last class of the day, thinking about whether or not to text the girl.

Her train of the though was broken with the sound of zipping backpacks and clicking pens, signaling the end of class. She followed the rest of her classmates out the door, and towards the parking lots. Phone still in hand, Clarke reached her beat up Nissan Passport within minutes. She unlocked the door and slid inside quickly. She took a deep breath, and unlocked her phone screen. She opened her contacts, and scrolled down to the L’s. Clarke didn’t hesitate before clicking on Lexa’s number and typing out a message.

_(2:03) Clarke – Hey! Are you free this weekend to help me study for Anatomy?_

Clarke turned the key in the ignition, her car roaring to life. She tossed her phone to the passenger seat, determined to get home before checking it again.

The drive was quick, and Clarke found herself pulling behind the familiar old maroon Camaro on the sidewalk outside her house. She walked down the path leading to her front door and opened the unlocked door.

She barely dropped her bag at the door when a slim brunette emerged from the kitchen, carrying a bag of goldfish in one hand, and a glass of wine in the other.

“Rooooooommate! Welcome home! How was class?” The girl set her glass down on the table besides the living room couch and pulled out a goldfish, tossing it towards Clarke’s direction without warning. Clarke caught the cracker in her mouth with ease before moving towards the couch, plopping herself next to her roommate with a huff.

“Hey Raven. Class was… well, it was class,” Clarke commented, drawing a chuckle from the girl seated next to her.

“I know what you mean, bud. Class was boring as hell for me today. At least it’s Friday,” Raven replied, putting as much emphasis on the word ‘Friday’ as possible. She nodded towards her glass of wine, “Wanna celebrate the beginning of the weekend with your favorite roommate?” Raven wagged her eyebrows comically, until Clarke finally nodded her head, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

“Great! Here have my glass. I’ll go get another one.” The girl skipped towards the kitchen once more, pulling out a bottle of wine from the fridge. She pulled a glass from the cupboard and began pouring herself another glass of wine.

Clarke looked up at Raven as she walked back towards the living room. “Where’s O?”

“Oh you know, she’s probably with Lincoln by now. His first game is this weekend and its a few hours away from here so I’m sure they want to spend as much time as possible together before his team leaves, as if they don’t already do that on a regular basis,” Raven said between mouthfuls of the colorful fish.

Clarke had remembered that Lincoln was on the men’s soccer team. All of the boys’ teams’ schedules were a week ahead of the girls’ teams. She then remembered back to her conversation with Lexa that morning and whipped out her phone. The screen read ‘Lexa – New text message’.

She swiped greedily at the notification, curious as to what she had replied.

_(2:07) Lexa – I’m free tomorrow afternoon as well as Sunday morning after my practice. Whichever day works best for you(:_

Clarke’s heart skipped a beat as she reread the short message on her phone. She quickly typed out a response before locking her phone and reaching for her wine glass.

_(2:21) Clarke – Awesome! How bout tomorrow? Your place or mine?_

Not realizing that she had been watched, Clarke’s head snapped up at the sound of Raven’s snicker.

“Who ya textin there, huh?” A smirk plastered to the dark haired girl’s face.

Flustered, Clarke just shrugged before taking another sip of her drink. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Raven.”

“Oh, don’t be an ass. I saw how excited you got when you checked your phone. Are they hot?” Raven inquired, blowing past Clarke’s obvious lie.

The blonde looked incredulously at her friend’s lack of subtlety before deciding to tell her. “It’s just someone on the soccer team.”

Raven shook her head and punched Clarke’s thigh. “C’mon dude, you know that doesn’t help. Are they on the girls or boys team?”

“Girls.”

“Ooooooooh,” Raven said in a fake girly voice. “Is she pretty?”

Clarke groaned at Raven. It was difficult being her friend sometimes, but she couldn’t help but love her anyways.

“Yes, but that’s not the point. She’s going to help me with my Gross Anatomy class. You know how much I suck at that class.”

“Damn Griff, you gots game!” Raven exclaimed, winking at the blonde. This caused Clarke to laugh, regardless of how warm her cheeks had gotten at the mention of Lexa. She took another sip of wine before checking her phone again, making sure to not look as eager as she had before.

_(2:23) Lexa – How bout mine? I don’t have any roommates, so we wouldn’t be interrupted._

Clarke began to type out a message before the small three dots on the bottom left corner of her screen appeared.

_(2:24) Lexa – I mean that we would be able to study in peace without anyone distracting us._

Clarke chuckled at the thought of Lexa realizing what her first text had implied before typing out a response.

_(2:25) Clarke – Your place it is. I’ll see you tomorrow(:_

Clarke dropped her phone back on the couch and focused on whatever Raven had put on tv. Parks and Rec was playing, and it was easy for her to become engrossed in the show, laughing every now and then with Raven.

They sat in silence comfortably, and Clarke was grateful to have Raven as a roommate. The bottle of wine was empty by the end of the night, and both girls had drifted to sleep on the couch, neither one of them caring that they were still in their school clothes. Clarke dreamed of green eyes the entire night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that Octavia was introduced as a new player on Clarke's team, but I decided that she would fit much better as one of her roommates instead. Plus, it ties Lexa with Lincoln in way, which will lead to some fun interactions between the group(: So I ended up changing one of the new player's name to Nylah, because we all know that could lead to something interesting later on in the story(;


End file.
